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Somerset, NJ -- Ali Kliment (Florence, NJ/The Pennington School) of Monmouth and Sean O’Reilly (Front Royal, VA/Seton) of Saint Francis (PA) have earned numerous honors throughout their distinguished athletic and academic careers. Having both graduated in May, the two soccer student-athletes can add one more accolade to their already impressive list of accomplishments with their selection as the Northeast Conference (NEC) Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

For each of the past five years, the NEC and its Faculty Athletic Representatives have bestowed the honor upon the male and female student-athletes who have exhausted their athletic eligibility, graduated, and compiled the highest grade point average in the Conference at the conclusion of the academic calendar. Kliment, a Political Science major, posted a near-perfect 3.99 GPA, while O’Reilly majored in Management Information Systems and finished with a 3.97 GPA.

“Congratulations to Ali and Sean for their incredibly successful careers as NEC student-athletes,” said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. “They are tremendous role models not only for their teammates and peers, but for the young athletes in their respective communities. The dedication and passion they showed for their academic and athletic pursuits and the individual and team accomplishments they achieved along the way demonstrate the ideals of participating in collegiate athletics.”

Kliment was recently chosen as the NEC nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year award after having distinguished herself in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. She was recognized as the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women’s soccer in each of the last two years, and last fall was named to the Capital One Academic All-America third team and NSCAA Women’s Scholar All-America third team. The Florence, NJ native was also a 2010 Lowe’s Senior Class Award candidate.

On the pitch, Kliment was tabbed an All-NEC first team defender for the second straight year. The team captain scored twice as a senior, and anchored a defense that posted seven shutouts and ranked second in the conference in goals allowed. Kliment led a suffocating defensive effort in early season victories over then-#17 Rutgers and defending America East champion Boston University, which earned Monmouth its first-ever national ranking. She started all 66 games she played in during her career and was part of two NEC championship teams in 2007 and 2009. Kliment was named the 2009 NEC Defensive Player of the Year.

O’Reilly, a midfielder, was tabbed to the Capital One Academic All-America first team last November and twice landed a spot on the Capital One Academic All-District team.

He was named to the 2010 NEC All-Tournament team after leading the Red Flash to the league title game for the third time in the last five years. In the semifinals, O’Reilly scored both goals - including the game-winner six minutes into extra time - in Saint Francis (PA)’s 2-1 victory over Sacred Heart. On the year, the Front Royal, VA product finished with five goals and an assist as the Red Flash posted a school record 11 wins.

NEC Scholar-Athlete of Year History

Year 	Men					Women
2010-11  	Sean O’Reilly, Saint Francis (PA) 		Ali Kliment, Monmouth
2009-10  	Filip Kisdobranski, St. Francis (NY) 	Maggie O’Connell Dubois, Mount St. Mary’s
2008-09 	Benjamin Evenden, Monmouth 			Kathleen Henry, Sacred Heart 
						Tara Maxwell, Robert Morris 
						Erin Reifsteck, Saint Francis (PA)
2007-08 	Ian Butcher, Saint Francis (PA) 		Katja Bavendam, St. Francis (NY)
2006-07 	Moran Stern, St. Francis (NY) 		Lisa Jaszka, Robert Morris 
	Andrija Vrdoljak, St. Francis (NY)

About The Northeast Conference
Now entering its 31st year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 12 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 23 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic or play-in access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Monmouth, Mount St. Mary's, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (NY), Saint Francis (PA) and Wagner. Bryant will become the NEC’s 12th member upon completion of the NCAA Division I reclassification process in 2012. For more information on the NEC, visit www.northeastconference.org.